Stronger-than-expected GDP information has strengthened expectations that the Bank of Canada will maintain its coverage price in December. Third-quarter GDP rebounded 2.6% q/q annualized, effectively above forecasts, whereas September posted a modest 0.2% achieve following August’s decline.
However economists say the headline energy doesn’t inform the complete story.
“The information have been going to be noisy this quarter coming off the commerce shock in Q2, so what’s necessary right here is to take a look at the flat efficiency for home demand, and it paints the subdued image we anticipated,” wrote TD’s Andrew Hencic. He added that when exterior components are eliminated, last home demand was basically flat at -0.1% q/q, which he argues helps a continued price pause in December.
BMO chief economist Douglas Porter sees the shock on the upside as purpose sufficient for the BoC to remain put subsequent month.
He stated the two.6% studying will “firmly put them on the sidelines for subsequent month’s assembly,” noting that the Financial institution has little incentive to tighten additional except inflation stress re-emerges.
Market response adopted shortly, with the five-year Authorities of Canada bond yield climbing practically two foundation factors to 2.68%.
‘Layers of uncertainty’ complicate figures
This morning’s information arrives at a time when recession issues are nonetheless being examined, following CIBC economist Benjamin Tal’s recent claim that Canada is in a “per capita recession.” Economists stay divided on how negatively among the underlying GDP particulars ought to be interpreted.
CIBC’s Andrew Grantham famous that whereas the quarterly GDP figures got here in stronger than anticipated, “the composition of progress wasn’t very best, as an 8.6% drop in imports was the primary driver of progress.”
Statistics Canada additionally revised a number of earlier GDP readings, with Q2 progress adjusted all the way down to 1.6% from 1.8%. Other data points have been revised greater, together with actual GDP per capita, which rose to $60,071 within the third quarter.
“…the expansion estimates for 2022, 2023 and 2024 have all been ratcheted greater by a mixed 1.4 proportion factors,” Porter famous. “Every of the previous two years is now estimated to have grown by 2.0%, or a bit above the economic system’s development prior to now 20 years.”
In his view, Porter sees the financial efficiency as sufficient to “quash recession chatter for now.”
To complicate issues, September’s commerce information is taken into account incomplete as a result of U.S. authorities shutdown affecting its releases. “Statistics Canada needed to impute the determine, growing the probability of revisions,” Hencic famous.
Early This fall information indicators weakening momentum
The momentum within the newest GDP information is predicted to be short-lived. StatCan’s flash estimate for October factors to a pointy 0.3% decline in GDP.
This estimate, mixed with ongoing tariff pressures from the U.S. and elsewhere, suggests the economic system nonetheless has appreciable floor to make up following earlier weak point this yr.
“The Canadian economic system is ready to swing again in the other way in This fall,” wrote CIBC’s Grantham. “Even assuming a rebound in November GDP resulting from short-term strike impacts holding again the prior month’s studying, progress is prone to stall.”
He added that “the development in last home demand isn’t encouraging and exports confirmed little signal of recovering from the tariff-induced Q2 hit.”
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Final modified: November 28, 2025
